Thomas Ruffin, Jr.

In 1860 he was a wealthy 35 year old lawyer living with his wife, young son, and 5 slaves in Graham, Alamance County, NC. He enrolled there on 8 May 1861 and mustered for Confederate service as Captain of Company E of the 3rd North Carolina Infantry on 1 June. He resigned his commission on 30 October (or September) 1861. The regiment was re-designated the 13th North Carolina on 14 November 1861 and he was elected Captain of his old Company E on 26 April 1862 at the army reorganization. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment on 6 May.

At Fox's Gap on South Mountain on September 14 he was in command of the Regiment due to the sickness of Colonel Scales.

He reported that "Owing to an accident, I was not able to command the regiment on the 17th, and, therefore, have the honor to call your attention to the accompanying report form Captain Hyman, who commanded on that day."

He was with the regiment at Fredericksburg, VA on 13 December but was appointed Colonel and military court judge on General E. Kirby Smith's staff on 16 December, and resigned his commission in the 13th North Carolina on 2 March 1863. He served in that post in the Department of East Tennessee to at least January 1865.

By 1870 he was a lawyer in Greensboro in Guilford County, NC and in 1880 he was practicing in Hillsborough, NC. He was Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1881 to 1885.

His service from his Compiled Service Records,1 online from fold3. Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

Duncan McRae was a cousin who lived with the Ruffin family for several years after his own mother's death. Ruffin's brother John Kirkland Ruffin was an assistant surgeon of the 5th Regiment NC Troops.

09/21/1824; Hillsboro, NC

05/23/1889; in NC; burial in Saint Matthews Episcopal Church Cemetery, Hillsborough, NC